Harbaugh tests his theory on Willie Mays

Jim Harbaugh was in an uncommonly good-natured, expansive mood today after practice — not talking about Sunday’s game against Buffalo, but reflecting on Wednesday’s long-awaited chance to meet Willie Mays.

Mays came to the 49ers’ practice facility in Santa Clara, where he chatted with Harbaugh and several players. Harbaugh, who previously had said he longed to meet two of his sports heroes — Mays and Muhammad Ali — sounded like a 12-year-old kid as he described Wednesday’s encounter.

“It was awesome,” Harbaugh said. “The great Willie Mays was here — he signed baseballs for everyone who wanted one, which was everybody. I had a great time talking to him. We talked a lot of baseball, a lot about 1954 and The Catch at the Polo Grounds (in the World Series) I ran my theory by him, which turned out to be correct.”

Asked to explain, Harbaugh said, “The theory was though it was a spectacular catch to everyone who saw it, it was a routine catch for Willie Mays. He had that catch at the crack of the bat. It was just a matter of running it down and then making the throw. His hat came off, but I think he had it at the crack of the bat – he was off and gone. … That was my theory: It was just a routine catch for Willie Mays.”

This baseball chatter continued after Harbaugh completed his customary Friday news conference. He informally chatted with a group of writers about the Giants and A’s both reaching the playoffs, and before long the conversation turned to the 49ers and Raiders.

The way Harbaugh sees it, there’s no reason 49ers fans can’t root for the Raiders as their second-favorite team (and likewise with the Giants and A’s). This might not be an entirely practical notion — it doesn’t really work in New York with the Yankees and Mets, for instance — but Harbaugh was insistent.

“There should be a great relationship between the two teams,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be the Democrats and the Republicans. We’re very fortunate to have this many professional sports teams in the Bay Area.”